Process of reproducing phonographic records.



No. 742,454. PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

T. B. LAMBERT. I PROCESS OF REPRODUOING PHONOGRAPHIG RECORDS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 14. 1900.

N0 MODEL.

jfz'vezZYah Jiwnmfiz ZerZ U ITED STATES Patented October 2'7, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. LAMBERT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LAMBERT COMPANY, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF REPRODUCING PHONOGRAPHIC RECORDS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 742, dated- October1903- Applioation filed June 14, 1900. Serial No. 20,249. (NoSpecimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. LAMBERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of ProducingDuplicate Phonographic Records, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates particularly to processes by which the ordinaryrecord now used in connection with phonographs may be copied orduplicated any number of times, and especially to the production ofindestructible duplicate-records, all of which will more fullyhereinafter appear.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple,economical, and efficient process of reproducing phonographic records;and the invention consists in the process hereinafter described andclaimed.

The accompanying drawing represents a vertical sectional elevation ofone style of apparatus in which my improved process may be carried out.

In carrying out my process I provide a matrix A of the desired size,shape, and strength and which is preferably cylindrical in contour andformed of copper which has been electrochemicallydeposited upon a waxcylinder in the manner shown and described in Patent No. 645,920, issuedto me on the 20th day of March, 1900, and which it is thereforeunnecessary to show and describe in detail here. The inner side of thiscopper matrix is provided, as is shown in the above-named patent, with anegative of a record-cylinder provided with a surface havingindentations which correspond with the projecting portions of the recordand projections which correspond with the indentations on therecordcylinder, and in. order to make duplicate records I place withinsuch matrix a blank record-cylinder B, formed of celluloid or similarsubstance-in fact, it can be formed of any substance which issusceptible of being softened byheat and rehardened by cooling. Thisblank record-cylinder, which may be made of celluloid or other desirablematerial,

.is, as above stated, placed within the matrix,

so that the record and matrix both rest upon a base C, which acts as aclosure for one end of the chamber inside the record and which I willhereinafter term the record-chamber b. A head portion D is next placedupon the record-cylinder to complete the closing of the record-chamber.An air-tightchamber,which I will designate as the record-chamber, isthus formed within the blank record-cylinder and between the movablehead D and the base C. This movable head should be of such diameter asto leave an opening between it and the matrix when the head is incontact with the record-cylinder at a point within or near the matrix,and the opening should be narrower than the thickness of therecord-cylinder. The opening will then be closed andsealed by therecord-cylinder when pressure sufficient to expand it is applied within,and, as will be readily seen, this opening affords an outlet for the airto escape between the head and matrix and from between therecord-cylinder and matrix. This arrangement of the head and matrixleaves the matrix to rest loosely upon the base without anything to holdit unyieldingly against the base. The natural irregularities of theadjacent surfaces of the matrix and base thus afford a sufficientopening between the lower end of the matrix and base to permit air toescape from between the rec'- ord-cylinder and matrix. In fact, in theabsence of anything to hold the matrix rigidly and unyieldingly againstthe base-such, for instance, as a head in unyielding contact with theopposite end of the matrix-the application of the pressure within therecord will force the air from between the recordcylinder and basehowever regular their adjacent surfaces may be. The naturalirregularities of the adjacent surfaces, however, insure a sufficientvent when the relation of the head and matrix is as described, and agear-spindle E is allowed to drop down thereon. A weighted lever G isprovided and mounted upon the shaft g, which carries a pinion H, meshingwith the rack e, which in turn operates the spindle above named, and inconnection with a stop-screw I determines the position and the amount ofpressure with which this spindle may rest on the head.

It is now desirable to soften the record-cylinder so that it may beexpanded out against the indented record-surface of the matrix andexpand the record-cylinder. In order to accomplish this, steam underabout thirty pounds pressure to the square inch is forced into therecord-chamber through a supplypipe J, which is connected, by means of abranch pipe J, with a suitable source of steam-supply. The steam ispermitted to escape again out through an exhaust-pipe K, connected withthe outer air by means of the branch K. The steam is kept at asubstantially uniform pressure within the record-cylinder chamber, so asto by means of its heat and other actions soften the record and force itout against the inner indented surface of the matrix. After this hasbeen accomp1ished-and experience teaches the operator just how longunder certain pressure it takes the steam to accomplish this result-thesteam-supply is shut off by means of the valve j and a supply of coolair under pressure is permitted to enter through the supply-pipe J byopening the valve j on a second branch pipe J which connects with asource of air under pressure and keeps up practically the same pressureas heretofore, but leaves the valve 7; on the exhaust-pipe open, so thatall moisture and steam is blown out of the record chamber, as abovedescribed. When the steam has been blown out, the next step is to shutthe valve and permit air under the desired pressure to stay in therecord-chamber until such blank record is substantially forced into allthe indentations made by the record on the inner surface of the coppermatrix. As soon as this has been accomplished the air-supply is shutoff, leaving just enough air inside the record-chamber to cool the same,and the exhaust-valve k is opened sufficiently to permit the air to blowthrough under certain pressure, and thus assist materially in coolingthe recordcylinder.

When the duplication of the record-cylinder has been completed, thespindle E is raised, the head D removed, and the matrix, with itsduplicated record, removed from contact with the apparatus. The coolingof the record-cylinder also shrinks it, so that it can be easily removedfrom engagement with the matrix.

\rVhenever desirable or necessary, the outer periphery of the matrix maybe backed by plaster-of-paris, having a lead or other metallicconfining-ring to give it sufficient rigidity to secure the duplicationor reproduction of the records, and this is very clearly shown anddescribed in the patent above referred to.

I claim 1. The process of producing records of the class described,which consists in placing a blank record-cylinder adjacentto therecordsurface of an indented matrix, then forcing a supply of heatedfluid under pressure against the exposed surface of the recordblankuntil such record has been softened and forced into the indentations ofthe matrix, and then furnishing a supply of cool fluid under pressure tocomplete the production of the record, and finally removing therecord-cylinder, substantially as described.

2. The process of producing duplicate phonographic records, whichconsists in placing a blank record-cylinder adjacent to the innerindented surface of a cylindrical matrix, then passing into the chamberformed inside the record-cylinder a supply of steam under pressure,furnishing a supply of cool fluid under pressure to blow the steam outof the said record-chamber, complete the production of the phonographicrecord, and finally removing the record-cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

3. The process of producing phonographic records, which consists inplacinga blank record-cylinder within and adjacent to the indentedrecord-surface of a cylindrical matrix and closing the ends of therecord-cylinder so as to provide an interior chamber, next furnishing asupply of steam under pressure to such chamber and permitting it to blowthrough so as to prevent or minimize the condensation of the steam,furnishing a supply of air under pressure to complete the production ofthe record, and finally removing the record-cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

4. The process of producing records of the class described, whichconsists in placing a blank record-cylinder adjacent to the moldsurfaceof a matrix in position to provide an outlet-opening communicating withthe space between the record-cylinder and the matrix, then closing theends of the record-cylinder without closing the opening communicatingwith the space between the record-cylinder and matrix, then applyingfluid under pressure within and heat to the record-cylinder, and thenapplying a cool fluid to the recordcylinder, and then removing therecord-cylinder, substantially as described.

5. The process of producing records of the class described, whichconsists in placing a blank record-cylinder adjacent to the moldsurfaceof a matrix in position to provide an outlet-opening communicating withthe space between the record-cylinder and the matrix, then closing theends of the record-cylinder without closing the opening communicatingwith the space between the record-cylinder and matrix, then applyingsteam under pressure within the record-cylinder, and then applying acoolfluid to the record-cylinder, and then removing the record-cylinder,substantially as described.

6. The process of producing records of the class described, whichconsists in placing a blank record-cylinder adjacent to the moldsurfaceof a matrix in position to provide an outlet-opening communicating withthe space between the record-cylinder and matrix, then closing the endsof the record-cylinder without closing the opening communicating withthe space between the record-cylinder and matrix, then applying fluidunder pressure to the record-cylinder and then removing therecord-cylinder, substantially as described.

7. The process of producing phonographic records, which consists inplacing a recordblank adjacent to the mold-surface of the matrix inposition to provide an outlet-opening communicating with the spacebetween the record-blank and'the matrix, then arranging a movable headadjacent to the record-blank so as to form in combination with suchblank a chamber without closing the opening communicating with the spacebetween the record-blank and matrix, then applying fluid under pressurewithin the chamher to complete the production of the record,

the record-cylinder, substantially as de- 30 scribed. V

THOMAS E. LAMBERT.

.Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, BRIAN F. PHILPOT.

